In 'The Zone'
by Jaime Hudson
Summary: Deep in the desolate American Southwest, in a strange area called 'The Zone' - strange things appear and inexplicably happen. And, without a proper guide, anyone - even the military ghost recon experts - may simply... and suddenly... just vanish!


" **In 'The Zone'"**

"If you live in harmony with nature you will never be poor…" – Seneca (Letters from a Stoic)

Many eons ago… How long ago no one knows, for there was no one around at the time… But two proto-worlds collided. One was the young Earth, mostly a ball of molten rock and cinders, circling the mother Sun. The other was younger Theia, almost the same size and still steadily growing, and intruding in on 'sister' Earth's claimed orbital territory. Their sudden impact split Theia, one half subsumed into the also still growing Earth (aka 'Gaia') – and the other half put into near Earth orbit to become sister Moon. This happened once… or was highly probable, so some later human planetary scientists would one day imagine to likely have been the case.

The Moon would remain a mystery, even after the first future human astronauts visited her and collected pounds and pounds of rock and soil samples. And the area where Earth had swallowed up half or her juvenile sister planetoid was centered in the American South West area, near what would one day come to be known as Four Corners. So much for putting a mostly round peg piece of a nascent world into a square-sounding place – the irony of that being the least strange thing that was yet to be there…

Many eons later – (i.e., 'The Present Day')

Pocahontas waited patiently inside the bar of the Mexican-style restaurant, located in the first town just outside 'The Rez' (the Native American reservation she lived and had grown up in, as did both her parents, grandparents, and on back, for a number of generations…)

The time moved along, as she spent the past half hour or so listening to some favorite tunes on her iPod music player, while winking at a few of the still fit members of a gang of old & retired business types, now as a recently formed biker gang that hung out here quite a lot… 'Hell's Old Farts' was painted on the back of all their black leather jackets. Pocahontas herself wore an old and trusty pair of jeans, and a beige T-shirt that said, "Don't worry… Be Hopi!"

A few minutes later, the first of her customers suddenly had arrived precisely on time. And just as she guessed, it was the older man she would call 'Scientist', who wore Levi 501's and a T-shirt with the NASA logo on it. She watched him silently for another ten minutes or so from her table, before the other of their party also next arrived… the much younger one (wearing hipster deep black jeans, and a Pink Floyd T-shirt) to be known simply as 'Blogger'. All fake names.

For, Pocahontas was not her real name either... She was full Hopi, alright, and 26 years of age, and also a Shaman too. This last one was a proud tradition for her, to carry on the teachings of her beloved maternal grandfather… the ancient spirit & wisdom teachings that most (nearly all) of her fellow full-blooded Indians paid little attention to these days… and sadly, had not done so for many years before she was even born.

She now got up from her table in the bar, and walked over to 'Scientist', who was sitting at a table nearby with 'Blogger'. They only knew her from past e-mails (and later, 'snail-mail'), as 'Pocahontas' – all three wishing to remain anonymous not only to each other, but especially to any of the suspected 'Secret Government' agents that occasionally roamed all across the desert areas, from Mojave, California, out to Area 51, and to all points in between the lower 48, and on up into Alaska too. For the rare, fast-walker UFO, still did drop out of the sky now and then. And the 'secret men' in their jet black SUV's always could (and would) call in a Black Ops team to quickly 'liquidate' anyone deemed a security risk. But just whose security was at risk, exactly?

'If only we lived in a world of true freedom – and no more of these evil secrets and lies', thought Pocahontas, as she took a seat with the two men she would soon guide…into The Zone.

Right away they confirmed all their assigned 'identities', and had a light meal there. Then the three stopped at a nearby car rental business, and checked out a Chevy Tahoe SUV. Pocahontas used one of her several high-tech fake I.D.s and paid cash – after a long haggling session with the rental agent. Many car rental places oddly now refused to accept cash payments, for several 'reasons'. But out here in the boonies business was not exactly booming, so the agent relaxed on the new & slightly crazy company rental payment restrictions.

After spending a night in a small motel, all in well separated rooms, they proceeded to the southern approach area, along the main highway that led into the outer border of the Four Corners area – where four states (Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado and Utah) all came together, and it was possible to stand above the exact point where they all joined up. But the spot where Pocahontas knew The Zone could be entered was thankfully several dozen miles from that 'tourist trap' of a photo-op spot! Strangely, as far as she and her people knew, nothing weird or even remotely paranormal ever had happened at or close to the exact cross-hairs of the Four Corners Monument junction. 'Thank the Creator… for big and small miracles', she thought.

In a hidden ravine, she parked the Tahoe SUV, and placed an Army Surplus camouflage net over their vehicle. Soon thereafter, they then proceeded upon foot. As it was just about sunrise, she had no trouble making out the entry to the area that her ancestors had known all about for many years – even long before the famous Roswell UFO crash of 1947. In fact, they actually were in the far North-West corner of New Mexico. 'The Land of Enchantment', indeed!

Their next trek took an hour and a half, stopping now and then to use binoculars and long-range listening gear to keep tabs on any helicopters, military or otherwise, that might be approaching their target area. Heavy-duty choppers – as in the fabled black ones – which actually were painted an extremely dark shade of green...

Later, as the sun rose higher, and the temps rose quickly in the open and now very bright sandy desert, they took another short water break. Having been silent for so long, Pocahontas signaled that they could chat for a minute or two. Right away, Blogger piped up, and quoted St. Brigid of Ireland (Blogger was half Irish): "I would like a great lake of beer for the King of Kings; I would like the people of heaven to be drinking it through time eternal", he said, lifting his bottle of Evian mineral water skyward. Both Scientist & Pocahontas each gave a short, muffled laugh.

"O.K., guys", she said, in a stiff tone, "This is where it starts to get a bit… no… it does get 'really hairy' from here on in – and then out as well... I've done this several times successfully, and if you follow my exact directions, we'll be back for a late dinner at the nearest dive bar, 'no problem-o'. You dig?" She loved using that late 1970's era lingo, picked up from old movies on late night TV as a kid. The youthful & bearded Blogger – and the much older and clean-shaven Scientist – each nodded a simple, unspoken 'Yes' in reply. "Also" she quickly added, "No use of cell phones, camcorders, or anything remotely electronic from now on… The Zone knows what comes in, and won't allow them… ever!" Her two 'visitors' nodded once more… one, morosely. Blogger was especially unhappy at not being able to document anything: so, no 'proof' for his video-filled website of the strange places he'd been to. Scientist was OK – he had other goals.

Drawing on the spoken, handed-down knowledge (rarely was anything relating to their religion or mystical know-how ever written down) Pocahontas tossed ahead the first of numerous heavily weighted pigeon feathers. It flew undisturbed through the clear air and landed not far from her intended ground target. No word escaped her lips, but inside she felt a small sigh of relief. This same process continued on for about another two hours, as they made various twists and turns… slowly going deeper and deeper into The Zone.

Suddenly, and without any obvious cause evident, a hideous and foul odor violently assaulted all their nostrils & senses of smell, for the air had been lightly fragrant just minutes before. For a brief moment, Blogger and Scientist recoiled in extreme disgust, coughing out in a vain attempt what they each had taken in. Pocahontas heard of the tales of the strange sounds and awful smells – of Bigfoot sightings in here, and more – The Zone had often times demonstrated... But this was the first time that anything like this very bad aroma had ever happened to her in here.

A bit further on, after rounding a long-abandoned mine cave entrance, Scientist spoke: "Wait… Do you hear that? That strange, far-off music… Like something from a Wagner opera, but not any opera that I ever heard before… and I have every recorded note of all his music!"

Blogger and Pocahontas both listened carefully, but heard nothing. "No"… "Nope," soon, their replies... Scientist now wondered to himself, if his time was near? He had not told a peep about his having cancer. He had been using several alternative as well as more traditional treatments, and had hidden all his daily dosages well… so far. Scientist then pondered aloud: "Well maybe it is true…'The phenomenon studies you, as much as you study it'. I read that somewhere…"

"Yes… that is well spoken… and I can tell you – it's True!" spoken solemnly, from the lovely Pocahontas. She could easily have played the main heroine role, in the Mission 'Ramona' play.

They continued onward for perhaps another hour further, coming upon a rusted-out military style Jeep, with the bleached-white skeletons of two soldiers still sitting in it! The long deceased soldiers' dark, rusted dog tags swayed slightly in the gentle breeze blowing all about.

"Poor bastards… whoever they were!" said Blogger, making a Catholic 'Sign of The Cross'.

"Yeah… right!" replied Pocahontas. "The military's been trying for decades to figure out how to make use of The Zone. They even tortured my grandfather once, trying to learn all his secrets. But he suffered a heart attack and died at hospital before they got a single word out of him…" The sound of venom in her voice told of her deep hatred for the government, and its long history of mistreatment of all indigenous 'citizens'. "Hell!" she cried, "my people are the only true 'Real Americans' there ever have been – or ever will be – until the last 'full-blood' dies… one day."

About another ten minutes later on, and sitting on top of a high pile of rocks, there rested a pair of deer antlers. The buck's antlers had three sets of points, with a golden eagle feather tied to each of the points, or six in all. Just a few more dozen paces past this was an old well, the type with windmill-power blades at the top of a tower, as seen in many an old Western film or TV show. It was 'dead-still' now, even with the breeze that blew now.

Pocahontas pointed to the small circle of bright green that grew just before the windmill structure. "Right there is 'The Spot', where you can feel the pulsating heart-beat of The Zone… Where you may take turns and ask any questions about… well, anything. But, I can't guarantee that you will get any answers, though…" she said, matter-of-factly.

Blogger, being younger (in his mid-thirties) decided to not hesitate, and volunteered to try The Spot first. Scientist sat on a wide, rust-colored flat stone and waited his 'turn' patiently. This day was a while in coming. He could afford to wait another ten minutes… even an hour, if need be.

Blogger was soon in the instructed 'Spot', and felt absolutely… nothing! 'What a jip!' he thought silently. After so much expense and effort, he was feeling very disillusioned now. After several long minutes, he got up from his uncomfortable ground sitting posture, his crossed legs starting to ache quickly, after the very long hike in.

As he started to move up and away… it hit him! He saw not the mostly barren desert and his two fellow adventurers, but was now in a field of bright yellow sunflowers. And his last girlfriend – the one he really thought he would marry one day – was now walking up to him.

"Sharon…is it really…you?" he said, shaken, for she had died suddenly in an accident, just three months ago.

"Yes, my Love… it is me… How I have missed being with you like this!"

They talked for what seemed an hour or more, then she sadly bade him 'Good-Bye'…

Just as fast as it began, Blogger was back in the desert, and now walked & stumbled back to the other two. He then told of his experience, and asked how long was he 'gone'.

Scientist quickly replied: "Gone? You were getting up to walk back, after sitting, and hesitated for just a moment…" Pocahontas nodded that it appeared exactly the same to her, while holding back a tear, recalling a similar earlier experience she had inside The Spot, where she had talked to her husband, who also had died tragically young – which now was just over two years past…

"It is a Shift in Time – for many that visit here. I knew of tales of my people wandering, some seemingly for days, but then were 'back' – returned just a second after the moment they felt they had left their fellow companions," she explained.

Next went Scientist. His time was just as brief, and The Spot seemed to have failed him. He saw and felt nothing out of the ordinary. Except for that brief 'opera music' he had heard earlier and also that odd smell they all suffered through before, nothing else occurred for him… Nada!

On their long trek back out of The Zone, the three temporary visitors were observed by a very regal woman dressed all in white lace, who had a man servant keeping her always centered in the shade of his lovingly tended Victorian era, fringe-edged umbrella. Quite a pair, way out here, and also completely unseen by Blogger and Scientist – but Pocahontas saw them clearly, as any true Shaman would – (Queen Gaia and her attendant, who often travel all about, everywhere on Her world… even out here in The Zone.)

About 01:00 AM that night as promised, they had a pleasant meal of beef enchiladas, rice & beans, and many ice-cold Mexican beers. Later on, giving their guide Pocahontas her very substantial tour fee (all in cash, of course), they soon all departed the bar, each going their separate ways… and now, happily fed and watered, they were finally homeward bound.

A few weeks later, after his latest blood work came back, it seemed that Scientist had no signs of cancer in his body, whatsoever. There was not even any trace of past scar tissue anywhere to be found, either. It was as if he had never ever had cancer. A miracle - as far as he could tell... And even though it flew in the face of Science and all that 'Academia Stuff', a miracle was just what this Ph.D. doctorate had 'ordered' – and sincerely prayed for – out there… in The Zone.

"Amen."

The End

(This story was partly inspired by the Andrei Tarkovsky film, 'Stalker')


End file.
